Batman: Return to Arkham

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
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  1. Atomix
    Oct 25, 2016
    71
    Two excellent games, but sadly not so well remastered. The character models and their suits look very well, unfortunately the rest of the game looks fewer dark than the original release and we don't have any improvements on the framerate. If you never played the Arkham series before maybe you should look at this collection, the rest of us not.
  2. VideoGamer
    Oct 26, 2016
    70
    Although it is never great to aim low, I can't help but think the reaction to Return to Arkham would have been better had both games simply been 1080p, locked frame rate versions of the originals, running on Unreal Engine 3.
  3. Push Square
    Oct 24, 2016
    70
    Batman: Return to Arkham isn't the greatest ever remaster, but the price offers excellent value and the gameplay of both Asylum and City still hold up. Couple two of the greatest superhero games of all time with their DLC, and you get a lot of bang for your buck here.
  5. Metro GameCentral
    Oct 24, 2016
    70
    Two classic games made to look notably worse than they did over five years ago, which is one villainous masterplan even Batman can’t foil.
  6. IGN
    Oct 17, 2016
    70
    If you’ve never played Arkham Asylum and Arkham City and own a current-gen console, Return to Arkham is a fine place to start. But for those who already own both on PC or last gen, there’s no real reason to pick this up beyond a rather uninspiring and technically disappointing graphical upgrade.
  7. Critical Hit
    Oct 26, 2016
    69
    Batman: Return to Arkham is neither the game that Gotham fanboys deserve or need right now. Not even the dark knight can foil a plot to downgrade the visuals of two video games which defined his legend for a new medium several years ago.
  8. PlayStation LifeStyle
    Oct 25, 2016
    65
    It should have been an easy slam dunk: port the game over to the Unreal Engine 4, apply some polish, maybe through in some behind-the-scenes features, and profit! Instead, what we end up with is a poorly-optimized port which sees even the older Arkham Asylum stuttering from the game’s first moments, and some odd lighting that cuts into the otherwise excellent ambiance of both games.
  9. 3DJuegos
    Oct 25, 2016
    65
    Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are great games, but this remastered collection doesn't have the same quality.
  10. The Games Machine
    Oct 21, 2016
    65
    Batman: Return to Arkham is a wasted opportunity. The two games are enjoyable even today, but the port by Virtuos Games is technically outrageous.
  11. Slant Magazine
    Oct 28, 2016
    60
    The Batman: Return to Arkham collection is the video-game equivalent of that old “You Had One Job” meme.
  12. USgamer
    Oct 22, 2016
    60
    Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City are amazing games, but this collection doesn't stand up to the same quality. The visuals have been improved, but at a loss of the dark ambiance of the originals. The 30 fps frame rate isn't locked, with the occasional stutter marring the experience. Worse, there's no new content available here. If you own either game on PC, there's no reason to get Return to Arkham.

Awards & Rankings

57
#57 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
69
#69 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 488 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 405 out of 488
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 488
  3. Negative: 27 out of 488
  1. ScottDay
    Oct 20, 2016
    8
    These games are absolutely perfect, there is no denying that. However, this port brings this down, the constant frame drops become extremelyThese games are absolutely perfect, there is no denying that. However, this port brings this down, the constant frame drops become extremely annoying, even more so when they happen in battle. Because i'm such a massive fan of these games (Arkham City is actually my favorite game ever), I still had one of my greatest experiences playing a game since Halo 3 was released.… Full Review »
  2. nerrstyBthirsty
    Oct 28, 2016
    4
    Marred with too many technical issues to be considered a finished product, Return to Arkham left a bad taste in my mouth. While the uncappedMarred with too many technical issues to be considered a finished product, Return to Arkham left a bad taste in my mouth. While the uncapped and inconsistent frame rates of these titles is certainly a problem, that's not even the worst of it. Arkham City crashes occasionally, has bugs that weren't present in the original release, and even shipped with an untextured character model. One that you encounter during the Identity Thief side quest. Yes, we've officially entered Silent Hill HD Collection levels of laziness with this port.

    Arkham Asylum fares a bit better. While it runs at a lower frame rate than Arkham City does, and while both titles suffer from frame pacing and stuttering issues, Arkham Asylum at least doesn't crash. And though its frame rate is uncapped, it manages to be more consistent at reaching a somewhat stable 30fps. It's not perfect, but the version of Asylum in this release is definitely worth playing.

    The new visuals being a major plus point to Asylum. While you can argue that the game has lost some of its atmosphere in the process of changing these visuals, there's no denying that the game looks pretty darn good. The new rain effects are fantastic,and the lighting is a lot better than I was led to believe it would be from the trailers.

    Arkham City also features enhanced visuals, but I don't believe they're as prominent as what we see with Asylum. It's certainly a cleaner looking game than its original release, with its improved resolution, and the new effects added like stronger lighting and ambient occlusion don't go unnoticed. For all intents and purposes, it's a fine looking game. Which only makes the issues that are present that much more frustrating.

    I love the Arkham games. I consider Asylum and City as two of the greatest video games ever made, period. But Return to Arkham doesn't exactly do them justice. As said, I appreciate the new visuals, and at their core, the games are as great as they've always been, from a design standpoint. But when crashing, inconsistent frame rates, and bugs start to rear their ugly heads (again, especially in Arkham City), you have to question whether the trade-off for the improved visuals is worth it or not.

    I would love nothing more than to say Return to Arkham is a fantastic remaster of two of the greatest games ever made, but in its current state, it's kind of an unfinished mess. If a patch were to come along and alleviate the issues I mentioned, expect my score of this game to go up to a 9, easily.    … Full Review »
  3. BlastoizSteel
    Oct 19, 2016
    10
    Enserio, los gráficos son fenomenales, solo lo único que es el brillo, pero dejandolo de lado, es un juego increible, te lo recomiendo a pesarEnserio, los gráficos son fenomenales, solo lo único que es el brillo, pero dejandolo de lado, es un juego increible, te lo recomiendo a pesar que diga IGN que solo para los que quieran iniciarlo, sé que te va a gustar si eres fanático de Batman Arkham, el Joker, Batman, Gordon, Joker enfermo, entre otros, las definiciones todas detalladas, si quieres comprarlo, no lo dudes...… Full Review »
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